Gage attachment for hatchets.



GAG-E ATTACHMENT FOR HATCHETS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDorE LITZENBERG, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gage Attachmentsfor Hatchets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in shingle gage attachments forhatchets and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a gage of this character whichmay be readily attached to a hatchet and quickly and easily adjusted tothe desired position for gaging the courses of shingles Vor othermaterial on which it is used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating the use of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of ahatchet, showing my improved gage in position for use thereon; Fig. 3 isa top plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe gage removed from the hat-Chet; Fig. 5 is an end view lof one end ofthe gage; 6 is a cross section of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2;Fig. 7 is a plan view of the shingle engaging members of the gage.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1, denotes the attachingmember of the gage, said member consisting of a base plate having on itsopposite edges upwardly projecting parallel flanges 2, which form aAchannel to receive the adjustable shingle engaging members vof thegage. On the under side of the base member, is formed a tapered lug 3through which and through the base plate is formed a threaded passage 4,the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The attaching member1, is provided on each side of the lug 3, with screw holes 5, throughwhich are inserted screws 5 which are driven into the end of the handleof the hatchet, thus securely fastening the attaching member to the topor outer edge of the hatchet, as clearly shown in the drawings.

Arranged in the base member 1, are the shingle gaging members of thedevice, said members comprising an inner adjustable bar 6, in the innerend of which is formed a longitudinally disposed slot 7, whichSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 25, 1909.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Serial No. 524,400.

alines with the screw hole 4i, in the base member 1. The outer end ofthe member 6 is bent downwardly at right angles, as shown at 8, and insaid right angularend, is formed a blade engaging notch 9, which, whenthe device is in place, is adapted to receive the outer or upper edge ofthe blade of the hatchet thereby holding the outer end of saidadjustable member against lateral movement.

Secured to the outer portion of the member 6, by means of arivet orother suitable fastening device, is a. right angular stop or shingleengaging plate 10, the ends of which project a suitable distance beyondthe opposite edges of the member 6. One right angular portion `of thestop plate has formed midway between its ends a slot through which theadjustable bar 6 is passed before the plate is secured to the bar, thusproviding a strong, durable connection for these parts. The ends of theright angular plate 10 are square and project at right angles to theopposite edoes of the bar 6, as shown said right angular projecting endsforming stops which are engaged with the edges of the last course ofshingles laid and thus hold the hatchet in position to cause the pole orhammer end thereof to indicate the position of the shingles for the nextcourse.

Arranged above and adapted to engage the upper side of the member 6 ofthe `gage is a clamping bar 11, in which is formed a screw hole 12,through which and through the slot in the member 6, is inserted aclamping screw 13, which ishere shown and is preferably in the form of athumb screw. The screw 13 is adapted to be screwed into the threadedpassage 4, in the base plate 1 and lug 3, thereby securely binding theplate 11 against the plate 6. and thus clamping the latter against thebase plate of the member 1, whereby said plate 6, is secured in itsadjusted positio-ns. The outer end of the plate 11, is bent downwardlyat right angles to form a spacing lug 14, which is adapted to engage theouter side of the poll of the hatchet.

On the engaging faces of the plates 6 and 11, are formed serrations 15,whereby said plates will firmly engage each other when clamped together.On the outer surface of the plates 6 and 11, are arranged scales ofmeasurement whereby the position of the adjustable plate 6, may bereadily determined,

In the use of the device, the hatchet is laid flat on the shingles withone or the other of the laterally projecting ends of the stop plate 10,in engagement with the lower edge of a course of shingles. `With thehatchet in this position, the shingles for the next course are engagedat their lower edges with the outer end of the poll of the hatchet whichwill be in proper position for spacing the courses of shingles, thisoperation being clearly indicated in Fig. l, of the drawings.

It will be readily seen that I have provided an exceedingly simple gagewhich may be constructed at a very slight cost and which when in usewill prove highly etlicient. The down turned end of lug 14 serves toreinforce the clamping bar so as to hold the same properly spaced fromthe edge of the hatchet and at the same time prevents buckling of theclamping bar While protecting the end of the inner bar and providing'means for preventing the access of dirt to the slot in the said innerbar so that the adjustment of the bars may be easily accomplished at alltimes. The construction of the stop plate reinforces the end of theinner bar so that the stop plate will be held in fixed relation to theinner bar, and the said plate projects beyond'both edges of the innerbar so that the device may be used on either side without requiring anyreversal of any part, that is to say, the workman may proceedalternately from the opposite sides of the roof inA laying successivecourses of shingles without stopping to readjust or reverse the gage orany of its parts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advan tages of the invention, as defined in theappended claim,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A shingle gage attachment for hatchets comprising an attaching memberadapted to be secured to the end of the hatchet handle and lie againstthe edge of the blade and the poll, a graduated inner bar disposedlongitudinally upon the attaching member having a longitudinal slot andhaving one end turned down and provided with a central notch to engagethe edge of the hatchet blade, a stop plate secured to the under side ofsaid bar immediately adjacent the downturned end thereof, said platehaving an upturned portion containing a central slot through which thebar passes, the ends of the plate projecting beyond the opposite sidesof the bar, a graduated clamping bar disposed longitudinally of theattaching member above the inner bar and having one end extending beyondthe end of the inner bar and bent inwardly to form a lug adapted to bearagainst the edge of the hatchet poll,

and a thumb screw carried by the clamping V bar and passing through theslot in the inner bar into the attaching member to secure the inner barin an adjusted position. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribingwit-V nesses.

THEODORE LITZENBERG.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. LoEoK, F. C. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

